Reader: Sober People Drive Like Shit to Get Around Stoned Drivers

The Colorado Department of Transportation has partnered with the marijuana industry, community nonprofits, universities and other entities on a new approach to educating the public about stoned driving. Moving away from CDOT's "Drive High, Get a DUI" campaign of public-service announcements and materials, the new initiative, "The Cannabis Conversation," will ask Coloradans to participate in anonymous online surveys, sharing their opinions and information about their actions related to stoned driving. And readers aren't waiting to offer their thoughts. Says Victor:

CDOT wants our opinions? Well, my opinion is that stoned driving has been happening for decades. It is only now coming to light because cannabis has recently become more or less legal. As I understand it, there are those who are pretty good at it, too, due to years of practice.

Comments Laran:

Never have seen nor experienced any issues; waste of good money, in my opinion. Better uses elsewhere, such as motorcycle awareness.

Notes Daniel:

Stoned drivers drive the speed limit from fear of getting pulled over. Sober people drive like shit to get around stoned drivers.

Adds Angelo:

You know who gets into more accidents than "impaired" drivers? Sober drivers...

But then there's this from Bret:

It’s a tricky issue because there isn’t a decent test to determine a person's current level of intoxicity, like a breathalyzer, but that being said: I’d rather the state err on the side of caution. There is a difference between someone who’s just taken a hit versus someone who’s smoked an entire bowl, just like there is a difference between having one beer versus having six and driving.

Right now you can’t measure what the marijuana equivalent of alcohol intoxication is, and because of this I’d rather suspected marijuana DUID to be treated the same as you would treat any other DUID.

I don’t drink and drive; I’ve taken prescribed medication and if it’s recommended not to drive, I don’t drive. I’m sorry but anyone who supports driving stoned isn’t being responsible at all.

SUCCESS!

CDOT spokesman Sam Cole says CDOT will use information from the anonymous surveys in "The Cannabis Conversation" to shape future public-awareness campaigns and create documentary-style public-service announcements. "I think the whole country looks to Colorado and driving high since we were the first state to legalize it," he adds. "This is the first community engagement of its kind, and we're excited about it."

CDOT will be taking the campaign around the state, to inspire conversation. In the meantime, anyone interested in taking the survey can find it on the CDOT website.

And feel free to share your opinion on driving while stoned with us, too. Leave a comment or send your thoughts to marijuana@westword.com.